Canon SX60HS in Action (3 Viewers)

Torchepot · Oct 26, 2014

Thanks Adam,

Very interesting that you don't have to use the "turbo" button with closer stuff.

There's lots that I like about being in France but with 1.3 million registered hunters and their insatiable appetite for eating anything that moves (even ortolans!!) you only have to raise an eyebrow (let alone a camera) in the direction of most critters to spook them. All my efforts so far have been at a distance. But I'll try to get close to some of the birds at the bird table and keep my finger off that button.
Impressed with your skills in getting a shot of the yellow-browed? Are you using just the optical zoom or are you using the teleconverters or digital zoom?

Cheers,

Phil

Neil · Oct 26, 2014

birdboybowley said:
Hey CF,
RB Fly = Red-breasted Flycatcher. Guess you guys'd call it RBFL
IS set to 'Shoot Only' is impossible to use to get a pic of a small, fast-moving bird, esp at long zoom. The image is bobbing about and shuddering through the viewfinder. Hitting the IS button on the barrel will stabilize it but is of no use when the bird sits still so little. Put it back onto 'Continuous' and you can follow the bird with minimal (if any) camera shake and can take a decent pic. Not used the 50 so can only speak of the 60, and it almost transforms the camera.
I agree that if taking pics of a slow-moving bird, eg a heron etc, then you could prob get away with it on 'Shoot Only'

I think you're right for that application. The AF is more accurate if the lens is stabilised first so Continuous would make sense.
Neil

birdboybowley · Oct 26, 2014

Hey Phil,
I usually have the teleconverter on and set to 1.6x......sometimes 2.0x but find that the latter can be almost too powerful and the results a bit mixed for near- to mid-range bits. Again, if there's good light then 2.0x works better

Roy C · Oct 27, 2014

A good review/comparison of all the best superzooms inc SX50 and SX60 HERE click the 'Click here to continue to The Imaging Resource'. to see the review.

Steve Babbs · Oct 27, 2014

Roy C said:
A good review/comparison of all the best superzooms inc SX50 and SX60 HERE click the 'Click here to continue to The Imaging Resource'. to see the review.

Well a quick scan does seem to confirm what others have been saying that the image quality of the sx60 is not up to that of its predecessor. Which is frankly a crap situation!

Now I have to decide between a sx50 or a Nikon.

wardy11 · Oct 27, 2014

I had the same dilemma myself Steve - I read the review link that Roy C put in his post and it seems that the SX60 doesn't rate very highly at all on IQ. I found this link to a Flicker page which shows some excellent photos from the Nikon P600 and that's the route I've taken now.

www.flickr.com/photos/pi_birder/sets/72157644449816162/

I know it doesn't shoot RAW and there seems to be some negative comments about the time it takes to buffer when firing off a sequence of shots but I figured I can live with all of that to get the better IQ at full zoom given that it will be a 'record shot' camera for me as my DSLR set up is for the serious photographs.

crazyfingers · Oct 27, 2014

The SX60 sure didn't do well... Still wondering if I should get another SX50 before supplies run out.

Nick Leech · Oct 27, 2014

Crazyfingers - are you not tempted to try a Nikon P600?

IvanCavallazzi · Oct 27, 2014

[link was already in the topic, sorry]

http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2014/10/25/best-superzoom-2014-8-competitors-2.5-clear-winners

kawwauser · Oct 27, 2014

still getting hit with severe weather here in Scotland,mostly gale force winds,i switched on the 1.6 converter and headed out but the only subject I could find was this robin and it was only about 15 feet away,i ended up pulling the zoom back a bit ,,taken with the camera leaning on the car door,the iso was 1250 which I think is a lot for a bridge camera to deal with ,slight sharpening and auto colour applied

crazyfingers · Oct 28, 2014

I don't know. I had a really bad experience with the Nikon P100. I suppose I could wait though.

Neil · Oct 28, 2014

crazyfingers said:
I don't know. I had a really bad experience with the Nikon P100. I suppose I could wait though.

I've got the Nikon P 500 and I wasn't impressed with Image Stabilising, although on a stable platform the images were ok. Canon's stabilising has always been the best.
Neil

mzettie · Oct 28, 2014

Feel pretty foolish but I bought another SX60 and will probably return this one too. The IS on the SX 60 is a pain in the arse. Takes a minimum of 4 seconds for the frame assist to kick in, and by that time most birds have vamoosed.
I spent the better part of the day trying to get shots of the same birds with both cameras...set the SX50 to 2x telephoto and the SX60 to 1.6X, and took all shots at max zoom to get approximately equal focal lengths...all jpg.s, no processing. Forgot to turn off "vivid" on the SX50, otherwise settings are the same.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127980272@N06/sets/72157648590733867/

Neil · Oct 28, 2014

mzettie said:
Feel pretty foolish but I bought another SX60 and will probably return this one too. The IS on the SX 60 is a pain in the arse. Takes a minimum of 4 seconds for the frame assist to kick in, and by that time most birds have vamoosed.
I spent the better part of the day trying to get shots of the same birds with both cameras...set the SX50 to 2x telephoto and the SX60 to 1.6X, and took all shots at max zoom to get approximately equal focal lengths...all jpg.s, no processing. Forgot to turn off "vivid" on the SX50, otherwise settings are the same.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127980272@N06/sets/72157648590733867/

The sx50hs ticks all the boxes for stills but was a bit short in the video area so I'm not surprised that you're seeing an improvement worth paying for.
Neil.

Neil · Oct 28, 2014

I wanted to test the IS out again so I shot this Grey Heron at about 70 metres. As the subject didn't move it didn't cause the camera any problem. Using the Framing Assist - Lock Button steadied the image for the AF to lock on before I shot the frame. Second photo at full optical zoom - 1365 mm . Third photo at 2x teleconverter or 2078 mm.
Neil.

CalvinFold · Oct 28, 2014

Neil, your photos have convinced me to get the SX60 at this point. I've decided the better EVF and longer range, even if I have to use a tripod or monopod, and the actually quite good digital teleconverter, is worth the fussiness of the way IS works now.

I concede the SX50 might be better for stills in terms of IQ, but for my purposes and needs, it's splitting hairs. That's when things like the EVF and sheer distance come into play, despite the seeming awkwardness.

Took some reflection, but the reality is the SX60 would more than reasonably replace my digiscoping rig and still have better quality. Any low-light problems, or slow focus, can't be worse than what I consider "tolerable" now, and have for a number of years.

If I ever really want to reach-out with digiscoping at insane distances again, I can get a MFT camera and a better scope. If my GF gets her full-frame DSLR, then I'll adapt that for digiscoping.

I want to thank everyone who answered my many, many, MANY questions; and for all the samples everyone posted! o

IvanCavallazzi · Oct 28, 2014

I ordered my sx60... not in my hands yet.

May I just throw something that crossed my mind here... considering how bad the camera went here http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2014/10/25/best-superzoom-2014-8-competitors-2.5-clear-winners + the fact that it actually did well at de 21mm + quality of Neil pics and the fact that he is using the teleconverter...

It may be that the camera sucks in the 1350mm eq... the lens limit. And it looks like a focus misstep. Possibly the camera do well in the 1200 down. It would be interesting to see how the camera do in the 1350 vs it own 700+2x tele. Or the 1200 vs the sx50 1200.

birdboybowley · Oct 28, 2014

Not having probs with the IS now got the settings sorted - not sure why everyone else is?
And to be fair, max zoom pics with the 50 are pretty shite too, as they were with my 40

pooleparrot · Oct 28, 2014

birdboybowley said:
Not having probs with the IS now got the settings sorted - not sure why everyone else is?
And to be fair, max zoom pics with the 50 are pretty shite too, as they were with my 40

Adam, are you talking about 200x (ie digital Zoom) when you say max zoom?

birdboybowley · Oct 28, 2014

Nah, sorry - 2.0x tele. Would never use the digi zoom as the results are pointless....as with all its predecessors too

Canon SX60HS in Action (3 Viewers)

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